Renowned Greek chef, Peter Conistis, is set to open a new venue on Oxford Street in Paddington, goodfood.com.au has reported.
Conistis said the yet-to-be named eatery would open at the end of the year because he’s currently got too much on his plate with his two other restaurants – Alpha and Ploos.
It’s official. Greece is fully reopening for the summer tourism season of 2022.
In an interview with SKAI TV on Tuesday, Greece’s Health Minister, Thanos Plevris, announced that COVID-19 vaccination and recovery certificates, as well as mandatory mask use indoors, would not longer be required as of May 1.
This announcement comes as part of the Greek government’s efforts to ease pandemic-related restrictions after Greek Easter and ahead of summer.
Plevris then touched on a possible fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine for Greek citizens and said a decision on this will be made at the European level this month.
Greece will speed up gas exploration as it looks to cut its reliance on Russian energy, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting held at the Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management company, Mitsotakis said Greece aims to complete its first test drilling in more than two decades by the end of 2023.
Ανακοινώνουμε την επιτάχυνση των ερευνών για την εξόρυξη φυσικού αερίου που γνωρίζουμε ότι η χώρα μας είναι πιθανό να διαθέτει σε σημαντικές ποσότητες, με βάση τις προκαταρκτικές μελέτες, τόσο στον ηπειρωτικό όσο και στον θαλάσσιο χώρο, πάντα σε ζώνες αποκλειστικής εκμετάλλευσης. pic.twitter.com/3BseCm5VYh
One land and five offshore areas have been selected for the accelerated hydrocarbon process. This includes an area northwest of Corfu, in the Ionian Sea, in the Gulf of Kyparissia and in the sea west and southwest of Crete, as well as in the regional unit of Ioannina.
Mitsotakis said this decision was made in the face of the ensuing international energy crisis due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Accelerating the exploitation of the country’s national energy resources will allow us, if we are lucky and we have exploitable natural gas fields, to boost our energy independence, our energy security,” Mitsotakis said.
Mitsotakis at a meeting held at the Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management company.
The Prime Minister added that whilst Greece aspires to become a hub for the storage and transfer of gas to the rest of Europe, this will not undermine the country’s plan to boost green energy and cut carbon emissions by 55% by 2030.
“It is simply an alternative path towards the same target,” he said.
If all goes according to plan, this expansion will eventually allow Greece to export gas to its northern neighbours Bulgaria and North Macedonia, which are also heavily reliant on Russian gas.
Greece’s economic growth projection has seen a reduction of almost 1 percent this year at 3.8 percent from the earlier projection of 4.8 percent.
In a report released last week, the inflation rate has also been raised to 5.2 percent under the base scenario.
In the report, Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras, mentioned that under said scenario Greek economic growth would slow to 2.8 percent and the inflation rate would rise by 7 percent.
“The war in Ukraine is a new, major exogenous supply-side shock to the global economy that also affects, through various channels, aggregate demand,” said Stournaras.
Stournaras went on to say that Greece has a historical chance to turn the current crisis into an opportunity and that the main economic objectives for the country should maintain growth and strive to regain investment again.
The performance of the economy will be dependent on the duration of the ongoing crisis and the extent of the effects it will continue to have globally on the prices of energy and food.
“Although the main drivers of growth this year are domestic demand and tourism, there is significant uncertainty: the negative impact of inflation on households’ real disposable income will drag down private consumption,” Stournaras said.
Greece’s annual consumer inflation accelerated to 7.2 percent in February, the highest rate the nation has held in 25 years.
How many times have your grandparents sent you out to their ‘garden of plenty’ to pick some fresh basil for whatever yiayia is cooking? Or maybe to boil if your stomach was upset as a child.
The basil plant is a staple in every Greek family, whether it stands tall in a plant in the yard or a tiny little pot plant on the windowsill.
As we lead into Easter, it would be remiss of us to ignore the sacred connection that the basil plant has to the Greek Orthodox religion.
The sacred plant has been a huge part of the religion since Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, came across it in her travels in search of the Holy Cross.
It is said that Saint Helen stepped on the aromatic plant and was taken by the smell, she named the plant “Vassilikos” meaning ‘king’ or ‘flower of royalty’.
The aromatic plant is used commonly in the Greek church as a blessing or ‘agiasmos’ by the priest to bless the congregation, getting rid of the evil spirits and wishing for prosperity and light.
Similarly, to the church and how the herb is used, in cooking it can be found to elevate flavours in those perfectly traditional dishes and even in some modern fresh salads.
Like many things in the Mediterranean diet, the basil plant has been proved to be packed with vitamins, be a source of zinc, magnesium, potassium and also for its antioxidant qualities.
These health benefits have always meant that whenever it can be added to food, it should.
Every year the Historic Hotels of Europe Awards are selected by a huge number of tourists and academics in culture and history as they vote for their favourite hotels across many different categories.
This year, three hotels in Greece took out top places in the awards for various categories including the two new categories that they introduced this year being the Historic Hotel sustainability Award and the New Entry Historic Hotel Award.
Taking the golden award in the category of Historic Romantic Hideaway Hotel was the Esperas Santorini, in Oia, Santorini. This hotel will take your breath away with parts of its hotel etched into the classic rocky hillside of the island. These private terraces are the reason alone for the golden award.
Esperas Hotel, Oía, Santorini
In the category of Historic Natural Setting Award, the hotel Kyrimai in Gerolimenas, Mani won the silver award for its extraordinary architecture and its award-winning restaurants which infuse the flavours of Greece and Europe to create the perfect harmony.
Hotel Kyrimai in Gerolimenas, Mani
Greece also took the bronze award home for one of the awards newest categories, Historic Hotel Sustainability Award. The new category was awarded to the Allegory Boutique Hotel in Rhodes. The hotel balances tradition and modern design perfectly with its 6 suites ergonomically designed and the earthy colours that reflect the rustic island lifestyle of Rhodes.
Sydney Olympic FC hosted their annual sponsor and player night at Canterbury Leagues Club in Belmore on Monday night.
The event featured panel discussions with the first-grade men and women players, along with Q&A’s moderated by well-known journalist and sports commentator, Andrew Paschalidis.
In attendance was a number of prominent members of Sydney Olympic and representatives of sporting organisations. This included Sydney Olympic CEO, John Boulous; Sydney Olympic President, Damon Hanlin; Sydney Olympic Director, Lawrie McKinna; Football NSW CEO, Stuart Hodge; Canterbury League Club CEO, Greg Pickering and Director, George Coorey; and Member for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis MP; among many others.
Sophie Cotsis MP, Lawrie McKinna and Damon Hanlin. Football NSW CEO Stuart Hodge with SOFC CEO John Boulous. Photo: Supplied.
Paschalidis commenced the evening with a special mention of the role the 65-year-old club has played in Australian football.
“Sydney Olympic has led to the production of more Socceroos than any other team in Australia,” he said.
The sports commentator was then joined on stage by Mr Hanlinfor a short Q&A, where he encouraged Greek fans to band together and support the club as they once did.
Q&A with Andrew Paschalidis and SOFC President, Damon Hanlin. Photo: Supplied
When asked about the origins of his unwavering passion for football, Mr Hanlin answered: “football’s been in my blood since I was a little boy.”
“At four years of age, my father dragged me by ear to watch Sydney Olympic whilst we listened to the Greek radio,” he continued.
Damon Hanlin with his father, Nick. Photo: Supplied
“This game just brings so much more than just playing. It brings, passion, teaches us teamwork, how to lose, how to win.”
Despite the challenges and cancellations associated with the pandemic, Mr Hanlin stressed his belief that Sydney Olympic is in the best position it has ever been in.
“I feel sorry for the players – they’ve put in a lot of shift and effort to get a lot of false starts. It’s been a frustrating couple of years for them but this year honestly I’ve never seen us step out so brightly,” he told Paschalidis.
The President also specifically mentioned the Club’s woman’s program and remarked, “I love the woman’s program. It’s one of my prouder moments of being part of this club.”
“The fact they’ve been promoted into NPL1, the fact that we attract such a quality playing group, these girls do proud things for the club,” he said.
The CEO of Sydney Olympic then addressed the event, directly thanking the sponsors.
“We can’t exist without sponsors, the role you play in our club is vitally important. Your support enables us to run one of the best men’s and a women’s football programs going around,” Mr Boulous said.
Afterwards, there were also statements from the women’s team coach, George Beltsos, and Ante Juric, who coaches the men.
In the first Himalayan casualty of the year in Nepal, Greek alpinist Antonios Sykaris has died on Dhaulagiri on Tuesday, The Himalayan Timeshas reported.
According to his expedition organiser, Sykaris fell ill during the descent at an altitude of around 7,400m.
The Greek alpinist along with his guide, Dawa Sherpa, scaled the 8,167 metre mountain on Monday.
Greek alpinist Antonios Sykaris.
Sykaris’ lifeless body is currently at camp III on the mountain, where Sherpa is waiting for help to bring his body down.
Sykaris had 32 years of mountaineering and climbing experience and had been on over 66 mountaineering expeditions around the world.
Last month, after an absence of a couple of years, I was in Athens again on a personal trip and worked as a volunteer with The Hellenic Initiative Australia’s partner charities in Greece.
Walking around Piraeus late one evening, with the temperature barely 7 degrees, I came across elderly people sleeping on metal benches for the night. Layers of cardboard and blankets created a mattress, and their belongings were simply in a box close by. This was a vastly different picture to what I’d seen at Piraeus in previous years while waiting to catch the afternoon ferry to the island of Poros.
On this night, I was with our partner charity, Emfasis Foundation, and a remarkable team of people who are out every night helping the homeless and isolated in Attica. We had essential items including long lasting food, facemasks, sanitiser, blankets and care packages.
I was struck by the close relationship the Emfasis team members had built with all the people we met that night. They visit the same spots regularly to provide help and comfort to the people they have spoken to in the proceeding days and months. The relationships were touching and were based on care and respect.
Top image: Volunteering with Emfasis at Piraeus, Bottom image: Stergitsa (3rd from the left), the Emfasis team and Natasa (in the red coat) a beneficiary of our support.
I was touched by the trust the people had placed in the social worker and psychologist that were speaking to them about their situation and who made follow up appointments to access social and medical services. Hearing the words ‘thank you’ and seeing the smile that followed as we left them with a care package was so heartwarming.
It was obvious to me just how effective every dollar of our support to Emfasis has been. It was inspiring to witness the dedication and empathy displayed by charity staff towards the homeless people sheltering in the cold.
Earlier in the day, I volunteered with the Boroume and the Farmers’ Market program which The Hellenic Initiative Australia has been supporting since 2015. Pushing borrowed shopping trolleys from the local supermarket to the Halandri farmers’ market, we collected 235 kilos of fresh vegetables and fruit generously donated by the farmers at the end of the day. Two days later we collected a further 260 kilos of fresh food at the Ellinoroson market. The generosity of the farmers, even though they too are doing it tough because of the cold snap that had destroyed many of their crops, was remarkable.
Stergitsa volunteering with Boroume at the Farmers’ Markets
As I was unloading the food from the trolley into the waiting local charity van, I could see the workers were overwhelmed by the amount of produce we had collected. This local charity is regularly caring for over 100 people who benefit from these food distributions.
A visit to the farmers’ market as a volunteer is an opportunity for anyone travelling to Greece this summer. If you have a few hours to spare you can choose from thirty farmers’ markets in Athens and Thessaloniki and take part in this wonderful volunteer program organised by Boroume.
«Μπορούμε στη Λαϊκή» με εθελοντές τον κ. Αθανάσιο Σπύρου, Πρέσβη της Αυστραλίας στην Ελλάδα, τους συνεργάτες του, αλλά και εκπροσώπους από την Ελληνική Πρωτοβουλία Αυστραλίας για να σώσουμε και να προσφέρουμε περισσευούμενα🍊🥕. Ευχαριστούμε από καρδιάς!https://t.co/FbtexyJFEVpic.twitter.com/yxFIFWwtQo
All you need to do is stop at the stalls to see if there is any leftover produce and put it in the trolley for the selected local charity to repurpose the saved food into meals. Not only do you get to see the colourful farmers’ markets in Greece, but you are also making a valuable contribution to Boroume.
I left Athens feeling deeply satisfied that The Hellenic Initiative Australia and the Greek diaspora is making a real impact in providing hope and support to the vulnerable communities in Greece today.
As Greek Australians who are immensely proud of our Greek heritage, we welcome news that Greece is on a path to economic recovery and seeing major international investments now happening in Greece. The challenges that vulnerable and socially excluded communities and families living on or below the poverty line face remain, and that is why the help of the Greek diaspora is still needed. The huge increase in the price of utilities such as electricity and water together with food insecurity are common areas of concern for so many people earning as little as 400 euro per month.
COVID19 has had an impact on our fundraising activities, and any amount you can donate to The Hellenic Initiative Australia is welcomed. As you can see every dollar goes a long way to bringing a smile to the people that are supported by our charity partners in Greece.
*Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill is The Hellenic Initiative Australia’s Chief Executive Officer which raises funds to provide much needed aid to vulnerable and socially isolated communities across Greece. Since 2015 it has committed more than AU$1.5 million, helping thousands of people in need across health, social services, education and employment pathway programs. A registered charity in Australia, all donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
The NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Mark Coure MP, made a special mention of The Greek Herald in Parliament recently during a speech about the importance of community media and how they contribute to the country’s multicultural tapestry.
In his speech, Minister Coure acknowledged the national mullticultural and multilingual broadcaster but also paid tribute to non-mainstream, independent community media outlets saying that they “provide incredibly important information for culturally and linguistically diverse groups in New South Wales and across Australia.”
Having visited several community media outlets since he took on the Multiculturalism portfolio, Minister Coure turned to his recent meeting with the team at The Greek Herald and described how the paper has “evolved into an important part of the Greek community in NSW” since its humble beginnings 96 years ago.
Great catching up with Ali El Bahnasawy from SBS Arabic News yesterday.
Ali and I had a great discussion about my role as Minister for Multiculturalism and Seniors, and how I am working with members of the Arabic community. pic.twitter.com/wYkfmvtbcX
— Mark Coure MP – Min for Multiculturalism & Seniors (@markcourelive) March 30, 2022
“Often when I am out and about in local communities and I stop at a cafe in the likes of Brighton-Le-Sands, Earlwood, Mortdale or Blakehurst, I will see a copy of The Greek Herald on a table, showing visible signs of having been read a number of times. That is a testament to how much people in the community value The Greek Herald,” Minister Coure said.
“It covers local, overseas and community news, and carries classified advertising, TV programs and sports results. Beyond that, the paper is relied on heavily by many older Greek Australians, who find it a great way to stay informed and connected with what is happening in their community.”
Mr Coure then praised The Greek Herald team for their recent innovations to the paper’s business model including our increased online and social media presence.
NSW Multicultural Minister, Mark Coure MP, met with the Publisher and members of The Greek Herald team in March.
“That has enabled them to expand their readership beyond their traditional base. Now it is a paper that younger people can enjoy online, so future Greek Australians will continue to read the paper for many years to come,” Mr Coure said.
From here, the Minister for Multiculturalism spoke about how ensuring multicultural media is relatable to the younger generation is important as it allows them “to have a greater connection not only with their cultural heritage but also with their language.”
“I feel it is incredibly important that we empower everyone to speak a second language, and using the media is one way people can do that,” Mr Coure concluded.
“I cannot praise our multicultural media and its place in our rich multicultural society enough. I thank each and every provider for the role they play in keeping communities in New South Wales safe and informed.”
